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Tag Archives: rehab

Full Range of Motion Hand Strength

by Roger LaPointe

Get the most out of your grip training by hitting the FULL RANGE of MOTION with your hands! Just hit this link .

Develop Functional Hand Strength with Atomic Athletic Exclusive

• Full Range of Motion Training for the Hands
Finger and thumb strength training has got to be part of your grip strength work if you want an unfailing grip. Well, one of our customers, Alan, is looking to step up to the next level. Alan already has an assortment of the more standard grip tools. Now, he is specifically looking at finger and thumb strength.

• Limited range of motion with nut cracker type grippers.
It’s interesting, as you get into grip strength training, when working with all the various grippers and grip training devices, when you realize that there is very little out there for getting a full range of motion in each of the digits. Alan asked me what the effect of training with the nut cracker type grippers would be on range of motion in the hands, then someone at his office needed him ASAP, so he asked if I could do a bulletin on the subject.

• The Aftermath Sniper Gripper will increase strength thoughout the range of motion.
In the years I have been professionally involved in the fitness industry, no one had asked me that question, but it is a darn good one. As Alan suspected, the Aftermath Sniper Gripper will let one train the full range of motion in each of the fingers and the thumb. While many of the Atomic Athletic Bomb Proof Bulletin readers know, I am a big fan of isometric training and limited range of motion strength training. On the flip side, I am also a fan of training the full range of motion in the muscles, ligaments and tendons.

As a serious well read lifter, Alan understands the power of expanding the tool box of knowledge he is bringing into the gym. When working with the hands you have a lot to think about. The number of individual bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles in the hand are almost mind boggling when thinking like a trainer, lifter or physical therapist. What makes things even more difficult is the size of each one.

• Our unique Atomic Athletic Smooth Action Pivot Points are ESSENTIAL!
When looking at all the grip trainers on the market, it seemed like most companies wanted to make large machines. I think this is so they can sell you a lot of steel and freight costs. That is unnecessary. You can use commercial grade, heavy duty, smooth working parts in a small unit as well as a large one. We are talking about small weights being lifted when discussing finger tips, single finger or even single joint isolation movements. Even if you are not going through the full range of motion or just doing negatives, it is ESSENTIAL that you have a really smooth action. The amount of weight needed is simply not going to be great. You can't just jam a screw through a hole drilled in a steel arm to make a safe pivot point. These are not big weights, but you are exercising very small muscles. I am frequently chided by strength coaches for bringing only a 5 kg (11.2 pound) plate with me during demonstrations. After all, they have future NFL football players, or NHL hockey players, etc... you get the idea. After a trial, they all agree that 11 pounds is enough for almost anyone to train with. The smoothness is essential for the complete feel and ability to push the individual digits through the entire range of motion without cheating.

• Train Like A Strongman DVD Volume 2 shows how to use each position.
The Train Like A Strongman DVD Volume 2 has a short section on using the Aftermath Sniper Gripperin the thick bar, grip & forearm section, if you want to see a demonstration. Click the green link for that DVD's full description.

Roger Demonstrates the Use of the Sniper Grip Machine, an Atomic Athletic Exclusive

• The big grip training mistake.
I love grippers. I have a whole pile of different nut cracker type grippers. They are fun. However, an interesting thing happened about a year and a half ago. I realized that I was not training with them for strength.• Why train, if not for strength?
Wait a minute. How could someone be training with grippers and not be doing it for strength?The answer to that one is pretty easy. I am a real goal oriented individual, as are many of the Atomic Athletic Bomb Proof Bulletin readers. There is nothing wrong with being goal oriented. In fact, I believe that you never really get anywhere in life without goals. However, you have to make sure your goal is the right one.

• Changing the rules.
I had a goal of “closing” a particular strength of gripper. The goal was there, and I wanted to become part of the “club”. Well, on my way to achieving my goal, the rules changed. Literally, the rules changed. They were probably sensible changes, but I realized that I had a real handicap with the NEW rules. This set back my training so far that the goal is now probably unattainable. I say this in the real sense of the word, dedicated as I am. For example, I am a pretty good Olympic style weightlifter and squatter, but stand little chance of playing in the NBA. This is just reality. It was at that point that I realized I was doing my gripper training for the wrong reason.

Of course, I was pissed off at first. As I have said many times before, there really is a silver lining behind every cloud. I started doing grip training in a much better way.

• Training specifically to close a nut cracker type gripper DECREASED my grip strength!
Here is the primary way my grip training changed. I went back to doing heavy lifting, stretching and full range of movement . motions. Amazingly, as I was training my “gripper” strength, my actual grip strength had decreased!• Go back to the source that works.
While I love doing negatives, partial range motions and isometrics, that is almost the only grip training I was doing. I was not developing my whole grip. I was only doing the limited type of movements that would help me close “grippers”. As you probably know, grippers do not work the entire grip, instead hitting a partial range of motion. Fun and lofty a goal as closing the gripper is, I had missed the forest for the trees. I was no better than the guys who train for the giant trophy. You know the guys I am talking about. They are the trophy hounds.• Keep using your nut cracker grippers.
So today, I still use my grippers. They are fun little toys. I also use thick handled equipment, do heavy pulling, dofinger tip push-ups , hit the Aftermath Sniper Gripper, wrist rollers, and stretch my hands, wrists and forearms, and work my grip in many other ways. I am not closing my grippers any better... or any worse. Amazingly, my grip strength and forearm size has improved in a number of different ways. That is really cool.

Holy Cow! Look how the Old Time Strongmen looked.

• Astounding revelations through analysis.
Larger, more well defined forearms are one goal. It was an unintentional goal, but I achieved it. Increasing my grip strength for deadlifting, cleans and snatches was the real goal. I have also achieved that goal, but only after expanding my focus beyond merely "closing" a gripper. The only new training I had added was a greater volume of thick handled, fixed head, globe type dumbbells and using the Aftermath Sniper Gripper.

The Sniper Grip Machine is versatile and works each finger separately.

• Complete training concepts.
The concept that I keep coming back to is myTrain Like A Strongman concept. It is really an attempt at bringing all these seemingly disparate concepts into one coherent whole. You can't just train for "partial" strength, full "muscle bellies" like the bodybuilders, or just sport specific skills like the Olympic style weightlifters. The old time strongman type trainer will outperform all of those other guys.• Sum it up.
Just like anything else, when training the grip you need:
partial movements (which are commonly achieved with grippers);
static positions (which are commonly achieved with thick bars);
full range motions (which are the most easily achieved with the Aftermath Sniper Grip Machine).

• REMEMBER: Grippers are one measure of grip strength and CAN be used as a training tool. You are doing yourself a real disservice if you are making them an end in themselves.